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Dynasties of China

How many of China's major dynasties can you name?
According to Wikipedia. Dates are approximate. Older dynasties are legendary
Dates overlap even though the Mandate of Heaven was supposed to be exclusive
Quiz by stormcrow
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Last updated: November 7, 2021
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First submittedNovember 8, 2012
Times taken20,602
Average score54.5%
Rating4.64
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Years
Confederacy Dynasties
2070–1600 BC
Xia
1600–1046 BC
Shang
1046–771 BC
Western Zhou
770–256 BC
Eastern Zhou
771–476 BC
Spring and Autumn Period
475–221 BC
Warring States Period
 
 
Years
Imperial Dynasties
221–207 BC
Qin
202 BC–9 AD
Western Han
9–23
Xin
25–220
Eastern Han
220–280
Three Kingdoms
226–316
Western Jin
304–439
Sixteen Kingdoms
317–420
Eastern Jin
Years
Imperial Dynasties
386–589
Southern and Northern Dynasties
581–619
Sui
618–690
Tang
690–705
Wu Zhou
705–907
Tang
907–979
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
916–1125
Liao
960–1127
Northern Song
1038–1227
Western Xia
1127–1279
Southern Song
1132–1218
Western Liao
1115–1234
Jin
1271–1368
Yuan
1368–1644
Ming
1636–1912
Qing
+6
Level 77
Apr 27, 2016
50% first try. Gotta love the type-ins, I have no idea what got me the answers.
+1
Level 61
Nov 2, 2016
Same here
+9
Level 77
Apr 27, 2016
I bet most remember Ming and Qing and don't notice it accepts Qin and forget about guessing Qing again.
+1
Level 70
Jun 26, 2016
Nice quiz! Nice LotR quizzes too! Maybe you 'll find my LotR quizzes interesting too...
+4
Level 72
Aug 20, 2016
I knew one, Ming, and guessed ten by typing in chinese names or surnames. Just shows what we don't learn in Western education systems.
+11
Level 74
Aug 20, 2016
I definitely learned all of them in my 10th grade world history class in the US...
+24
Level 65
Aug 20, 2016
I remember using this rhyme to the tune of Brother john

Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han

Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han

Sui, Tang, Song

Sui, Tang, Song

Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic

Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic

Mao Ze Dong

+2
Level 60
Sep 2, 2016
Ha! That's great! I'm gonna learn that. Though according to this quiz, you'll need to add more to it.
+2
Level 63
Aug 21, 2016
Isn't there a big thing on whether or not the Xia dynasty existed?
+1
Level 68
Aug 21, 2016
You're correct. There are no primary documents to support the existence of the Xia, which is why the Quizmaster wrote the disclaimer that older dynasties are legendary.
+5
Level 74
Aug 23, 2016
I'm so ignorant to their rich history. I have to learn.
+2
Level 70
Sep 1, 2017
Liao mad underappreciated yo
+3
Level 66
Dec 19, 2017
I literally just guessed parts of names of Chinese cities.
+1
Level 53
Jan 12, 2018
What about the brief Shun dynasty between the Ming and Qing?
+4
Level 74
Feb 5, 2018
I don't think Li Zicheng really had enough consolidated power for it to be considered a real dynasty, especially since remnants of the Ming were still fighting. Plus, according to Wikipedia Li never went by the title 皇帝 (emperor).
+1
Level 28
Dec 23, 2018
what about the great Zhou dynasty in the middle of the tang dynasty
+2
Level 25
Mar 19, 2019
A dynasty is a line of hereditary rulers. Empress Wu was the only person in the Second Zhou dynasty. Therefore, she did not establish a line of rulers, and so did not create a dynasty. Wu failed to establish a succession.
+1
Level 46
Aug 9, 2021
Wang Mang also never passed their throne and I agree that Wuzetian's Zhou should definitely be included if Xin is included.
+1
Level 68
Aug 10, 2020
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but isn't China the oldest continuous/still going civilisation trought history? Dynasties so old there isn't even archeological evidence.It's crazy to think about really
+1
Level 49
Dec 26, 2020
Wait, do they use "western" for the earlier dinasty, and "eastern" for the later one??
+1
Level 55
Mar 20, 2021
because the Western part usually collapsed first.
+3
Level 75
Nov 7, 2021
Not necessarily Western part. As far as I am aware, what happened was that some empires were forced to move their imperial capitals because they fell to foreign powers. The cardinal direction generally states the relative location of their capital at the time.
+1
Level 74
Apr 5, 2022
No
+1
Level 82
Nov 7, 2021
Something is missing, Ming apparently, the dates given are for the so-called Southern Ming.
+1
Level ∞
Nov 7, 2021
Thank you, fixed the dates.
+2
Level 75
Nov 7, 2021
One suggestion: Zhou should be accepted for Wu Zhou. When Wu Zetian seized the throne, she renamed the empire to Zhou, and it's only known as Wu Zhou nowadays to avoid confusion.
+1
Level 83
Nov 8, 2021
Yes, and also accept “Hou Zhou” which means “later Zhou” to differentiate it from the earlier one
+1
Level 75
Nov 8, 2021
No, Later Zhou was one of the Five Dynasties

Northern Zhou was a thing too

That's one confusing aspect of Chinese history, historical states have so many repeated names

+1
Level 83
Nov 8, 2021
Hmm yes, apparently I was wrong. Well, ignore what I said before, but still, OP’s suggestion still stands
+1
Level ∞
Nov 8, 2021
Zhou will work now
+2
Level 48
Nov 8, 2021
Congrats on the feature!
+1
Level 82
Nov 9, 2021
I feel like the interregna should be excluded or already entered. By definition, can it really be considered a dynasty if there was only one ruler? Not according to the OED entry for dynasty: "A succession of rulers of the same line or family." I dunno, maybe I'm just salty because whilst I knew those years referred to the reigns of Wang Mang and Wu Zetian, I had no idea what dynastic names they chose.
+1
Level 70
Apr 5, 2022
Reasonable to be salty!
+1
Level 67
Dec 18, 2021
See I often don't bother trying to remember all of them because I get mixed up with Qin Xin and Qing
+3
Level 89
Apr 5, 2022
So there was a Tang but never a Wu Tang? How disappointing.
+2
Level 65
Apr 6, 2022
Just out of curiosity, I seen the Wu and entered Tang, Danged if I didn't get it.
+2
Level 76
Apr 5, 2022
This quiz reminded me of Rush Hour II, where Chris Tucker says to Jackie Chan, "I'll slap you so hard, you'll end up in the Ming Dynasty," and later in the movie, Jackie Chan tells Tucker, "I'll b**** slap you back to Africa."
+1
Level 70
Apr 5, 2022
Nice! Full score felt great :)
+1
Level 57
Apr 6, 2022
I wish Chinese history was taught more in American schools, as I got most of these from guessing random combinations of Chinese syllables that sounded familiar.
+1
Level 47
Nov 5, 2022
太简单了,词典后面都有,已经背的滚瓜烂熟了😂
+1
Level 33
Dec 14, 2022
对中国人来说太简单了 春秋战国 三国 南北朝 五代十国甚至都直接给了答案
+1
Level 66
Apr 3, 2023
我不會說中文
+1
Level 60
Apr 4, 2023
15/22 knowledge of Chinese cities helps, because many are named after dynasties.